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Old 23-11-2010, 08:36 AM
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BlackWidow (Mardy)
Seeing Stars

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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Adelaide Australia
Posts: 610
Web Cam USB to Parallel Port solution.

Hello all. I have found a solution for the parallel to USB connection of Long Exposure modded WebCams. I have a Philips toucam 840 and now a new SC880 that have the SC Mod. As most people are aware it is difficult now to find a Laptop Computer with a Parallel Port.

I have tried several USB to Parallel converters with poor results or in most cases don't work at all. I have also tried to convert to serial but got lots of noise. I even tried Card Bus to Parallel, and that also did not work.

I have found a Guy in the UK that produces cables and adaptors made just for this job. They are well priced and work. They have been designed by a fellow sky watching person, so he knows whats needed.

The product required is a kit that converts USB to serial and then Serial to Parallel. You have the best of both worlds in one adaptor kit.

Part Number: Parallel to USB Camera Converter Kit ASTPaUSB
Kit Price in GBP: 26.95
Shipping to AU GBP: 5.40
Price in Australian Dollars shiped to Australia is $52.00

Here is the link to his Web Site
http://www.astronomiser.co.uk/converters.htm


I hope this is a help to those who have modded Web Cams that have been having the same problems as I have..
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  #2  
Old 23-11-2010, 05:27 PM
Dennis
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Thanks Martin – I’ll have a look at this offering to see if it would also work with my old SBIG ST7E ccd camera, which has a legacy 25 way Parallel connector.

Cheers

Dennis
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Old 24-11-2010, 09:51 AM
Barrykgerdes
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The lack of a full parallel port on modern computers is a nuisance and not easy to overcome. One of the main problems is that when Windows stopped being based on the old DOS system they inhibited the general access to direct port accessing for security reasons. This can of course be overcome with a patch. but stops lots of equipment drive programs operating "out of the box".

I think Silicon Chip described a general I/O add on some months ago that was very sophisticated.

Barry
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Old 24-11-2010, 05:27 PM
Dennis
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I also have a docking station for my IBM ThinkPad that provides a 25 way parallel port, as well as a legacy 9 pin RS232 port, so as a fall back I can connect through the docking station.

Cheers

Dennis
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